What you will learn: • Defining the family • The universality of the family • Modern family structures
• Historical development of the family in Ireland from the beginning of the twentieth century
• Social, economic and technological changes affecting modern family structures
• Family functions Defining the family
The family is a group of people related to each other by blood, marriage or adoption. The Irish Constitution (article 41) describes the family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society. The United Nations (1994) describes the family as the basic unit of society, which acts as a support for its members and which transmits values from one generation to the next.
? Define the term family. (5) HL The universality of the family
The family is a group that exists, in some form, in all societies throughout the world. The form may change due to variations in culture, but the family is still the fundamental cornerstone of society.
The family is considered to be one of the most important social institutions. It is through the family that children learn how to behave and fit into society. Over a lifetime people may belong to three types of family.
• Family of orientation: the family individuals are born into, made up of parents and siblings.
• Family of procreation: the family created when individuals have or adopt children.
• Family of affinity: also known as a family of choice, whereby people with or without legal or blood ties feel they belong together as a family, e.g. close friends.
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Explain what is understood by the universality of the family. (5) HL
